This weekend I had the ability to go with a friend on a bake shop tour around Minneapolis, and let me tell you this was an amazing experience. We went back into kitchens to learn how the bakeries work and how the operation is run. Not to mention all of the samples that were heaped up in front of us. Cupcakes, breads, macaroons, tarts, you name it, we tried it. The experience not only gave me so many creative ideas, but it opened my mind up to all the things that a pastry can be.

The first place we went was Salty Tart, home of the amazing macaroon. This tiny little shop was certainly not to be forgotten. It was amazing how all of the chefs could work in such a small space, but as they mentioned to us, "We are all a family, and we learn how to work around each other."

Second Stop: Cupcake

This was one of the shops I drew most of my inspirations from. The flavors of the cupcakes they had I knew I want to recreate soon, passion fruit chocolate being one that caught my eye as a different combination. The buttercream they used as well was one of the best I have had, so now I'm determined to recreate the perfect texture they seemed to have perfected at Cupcake.

This was my favorite stop on the tour, and it was Cupcake Carmel. This cute little shop was dedicated to the love of cupcakes and sugar arts. The cakes that graced the displays were amazing and every detail was poured over by dedicated pastry chefs. The use of techniques that I saw and learned about was incredible. I would highly recommend this bakery to everyone and anyone, because of the amazing food and the amazing people behind that food.

Patisserie 46 I will remember for the amazing breads they had. We got to sample three different kinds: a honey wheat, a baguette, and a chocolate orange bread. All of them were so differently delicious and you could tell this quaint little place worked hard to achieve these breads. Along with that, they dished out some pretty amazing mango carmels.

Overall, this was a great experience for me and I'm excited to get into the kitchen next weekend to try out something I learned from these great bakeries.